Not So Rapid Reaction — Seahawks Steal Win From Lions

Seahawks Back To 2-2 But…

Typically I would write this post game column within hours of the end of the game. I didn’t do that this time because so much of the end of the game required explanation, extra thought and in-depth analysis.

After doing all of those things, watching the game a 2nd time, here is my conclusion: A win is a win.

Chancellor saved the game for the Seahawks but instead we are talking about rules and conspiracies.

Winning ugly is what the Seattle Seahawks did Monday night and they might not have done it without a little help from the men wearing black and white stripes. Is it a conspiracy? Is the league favoring the Hawks and/or Pete Carroll?

Hardly.

The Seahawks have had more than their fair share of bad calls go against them. Some cost them wins. Some cost them wins in big games. Anyone want to talk about offensive pass interference in Super Bowl 40? How about we discuss the fact that the Seahawks are the most penalized team in the NFL the past several years?

The fact is, every team gets breaks on calls and bad breaks on others. The officials, both replacement and regular, are human and make mistakes. They miss calls and I, for one, don’t want to review every play of every game. I would argue that bad calls are actually good for the game as they create discussion, controversy, and give guys like me stuff to write about.

The Seahawks got a break Monday and it pretty much handed them the victory when Kam Chancellor made a brilliant play to knock the ball away from Calvin Johnson. KJ Wright then batted the ball out of the back of the end zone for the touchback. The batting by Wright—totally intentional and totally illegal.

Sure, you can call it a stupid rule or say it wouldn’t have mattered because the ball would have gone out anyway but as the rules currently stand, the refs messed it up and Detroit should have kept the ball. That’s what matters and this time Seattle is the team that caught the break.

If you want to know where I stand on this batting rule, I would say we need to make that play irrelevant. For several years now the NFL has considered the possibility of making a ball fumbled in the field of play and through the back of the end zone NOT a touch back anymore. They need to do just that.

Think about it. If Marshawn Lynch fumbles the ball on his own 20, the ball bounces forward to the 30 and out of bounds, the ball comes back to the Seahawks at the 20. Why is it that if a runner fumbles outside of the end zone forward into the end zone and then out of bounds it suddenly becomes a turnover?

The defense never recovered the ball so why do they get it? That folks is the rule that needs changing. In that situation the ball should go back to where it was fumbled, just like it does on every other play any place else on the field.

Alas, we digress here; let’s talk about the other 200 plays in this game. Here are my takeaways from the game.

What I Liked

Wilson on the run is exciting but he’s under fire far too often.

The improvisation skills of Russell Wilson just never cease to amaze me and the rest of the world. In the 2nd quarter Wilson found Jermaine Kearse for a big gain and first down after an amazing scramble to avoid a host of Lions’ pass rushers. The very next play he hit Doug Baldwin on a deep throw for a touchdown.

With Lynch out due to injury, Wilson scrambling was the Seattle offense. Sometimes he ran, sometimes he threw but always he was making things happen. I just wish he didn’t have to do it so often. More on that a bit later

You have to also love what the Seahawks did on defense. They suffocated the Lions ground game and Kam Chancellor laid some big hits on Lions’ receivers. The twisted part of me wanted one of those big hits to be on Golden Tate but a big hit on Calvin Johnson is a heckuva consolation prize.

What I Didn’t Like

Jimmy Graham is once again MIA. How can the Seahawks run an offense and include this guy so little? I realize there are going to be plays designed to go to him that get broken up on occasion but the lack of targeting by Wilson to Graham was very surprising in this one. I thought the Seahawks had gotten past that hurdle against Chicago.

For all of Wilson’s improvisation in this one, he still didn’t look very good when the Lions chose to blitz him. Where is the hot read for Wilson? He has to find that guy and get rid of the ball quickly instead of trying to dance his way out of that kind of trouble. Wilson’s inability to read the blitz was the cause of his two very costly fumbles that nearly led to the Seahawks losing the game.

Darrell Bevell — What are you doing?

What I Really Didn’t Like

The Seahawks have won a lot of games the past three years with a questionable offensive line. This year’s version of the line is not even up to the so-so standard. The O-line had played marginally better each week of this season but this game marked clear regression. They are awful and changes are necessary.

They couldn’t run block well. They couldn’t pass protect well and Darrell Bevell seems convinced he does not to resort to rolls, boots, and waggles to help them out.

Why is that, Mr. Bevell? We know Wilson is good on the run. Why not have a moving pocket to buy him more time naturally, instead of under fire? The failure to do so by Bevell is likely going to result in Wilson’s injury sooner or later.

Looking Ahead

The Seahawks are back to 2-2. Next week the Seahawks hit the road again to a place not so easy to win. It’s the Bengals and the Seahawks and hopefully we’ll see a more upright and a healthy Beastmode come Sunday.

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Husband, Philosopher, Animal Rights Advocate, and Author Brian is a Spokane native and Gonzaga University grad. Seahawks, Mariners, GU Hoops and Cougar football are the teams that drive his passion for sports. You can catch him on twitter too! Connect with Brian today!Twitter:@brisco811Email: BrianS@NWSportsBeat.comNWSB Facebook FanPageSubscribe To Brian's Articles Via RSS On NWSBLike Something I wrote? Hate it? Hit me back today I want to hear from you!